


Undercover

by Tacuma



Series: 50 First Meetings [21]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drag, Drag Queens, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Sex is mentioned, Tiny bit of Angst, but nothing actually happens, no powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 17:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5793637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tacuma/pseuds/Tacuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drug lord Ronan is forcing people to work in his night clubs. To stop the human trafficing Steve has to go undercover in one of Ronan's clubs. He has the best chances to get information in one of the very classy drag clubs Ronan is running, so Steve becomes Stephanie to help the others in the club escaping illegal prostitution. Steve doesn't actually have to sleep with any clients, undercover policemen show up to pretend to spend the night with him. Until no one shows up and Steve can't do anything else than take the the handsome Tony to his room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Undercover

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know where this came from. Just know that this story is not making fun of people who dress up in drag. It's a police story about friendship.

**Undercover**   
  


'Alright, listen up, we've finally got permission to work on Ronan's illegal prostitution network,' Nick Fury, head of one of the New York police departments, said. 'Our team will do the undercover part. Our job is to bring down the leaders, the pimps, not the prostitutes themselves. You have been researching this and you tracked people down. We know who we're looking for, but we have to catch them red handed.'

 

'Are we going undercover as... customers?' Steve Rogers, the leader of their little team, asked.

 

James 'Bucky' Barnes snorted. 'Because our Stevie has never been a customer. He'll be blushing so badly everyone will know we're faking!'

 

'Unlike you, I'm so hot I always got it for free. No need for me to pay,' Steve teased his friend back.

 

'He got you there!' Sam Wilson laughed.

 

'No, you'll be infiltrating as prostitutes,' Fury butted in, effectively stopping their chatter. 'We'll be working at two different clubs. Club Venus is a place with female prostitutes and The Aurora is one with males dressed as females. Bruce calculated that we’ll have the biggest chance with these places. Rogers, you will go undercover, Wilson, you will monitor him. Follow his every step. Cameras, microphones, I want it all recorded.'

 

Bucky laughed as he elbowed his friend. 'That's what being hot does to you when you're a police officer. Now you get to dress in drag and be super pretty on camera!'

 

'Barnes, shut up, you will be monitoring Romanoff,' Fury continued, glaring at the team with his one good eye.

 

'That's what you get when you got a pretty girlfriend’, Steve chuckled when he noticed Bucky pulled a face. ‘You get to watch her dress up and flirt with other men.’

 

‘Nat, Fury likes you, just ask him to switch places with Maria?’ Bucky pleaded.

 

‘I can’t,’ Natasha answered, a smirk on her face. ‘I volunteered.’

 

'Everyone else support them with everything they need, keep looking for information and make sure there is back up ready at all times,' Fury warned the rest of the team, ignoring Bucky’s complains. 'We have seen how things can turn for the worse in no time. Keep the gunfight Barnes got into three months ago in your head. Ronan’s men are always armed. We can't have our people in there when things go wrong. Dismissed!'

 

Steve immediately got up from his chair. 'Alright team, we need clothes, tech, and a way into two of the clubs we've been researching. I want two clubs by tonight. Let's try to get in there by the weekend. That also means we need some of you as customers! Sam, we're going to discuss how we're going to handle it. Natasha, Bucky, you guys do the same, I want a report about it before the end of the day! That's it, let's get to work!'

 

~

 

'How do I look?' Steve asked with a big grin as he stepped out of the men's room. He was wearing a wig, make up, a dress, and impossibly high heels.

 

'More feminine than I had expected,' Bucky said, surprised. 'You look really good. You'll have to learn to run in those things, because those guys will all want a piece of you.'

 

'I'm used to it, irresistible in both genders,' Steve laughed. 'No, the girls who arranged the clothes have done a great job. I won't look like a complete idiot.'

 

'Stop looking at other girls,' Natasha said to her boyfriend as she walked out the ladies room. 'You won't like me when I'm jealous.'

 

Bucky's eyes almost fell out of his head. Natasha looked very good in the black leather outfit she was currently wearing. Sexy, extremely sexy, but still in a way that showed she could kill you with her bare hands.

 

'Looking good Nat!' Steve complimented her.

 

'You too,' Natasha smirked. 'Too good for drag.  All muscles, but so feminine. It must be your pretty face. You will get a lot of customers, Stefanie, maybe you should switch careers. You could get rich!'

 

Steve grinned. 'I'll think about it. But I would miss you a lot.'

 

'Maybe I'll come and visit you for a night of fun,' Natasha said seductively. She laughed when she heard Bucky's whine.

 

'Why are you best friends?' he asked.

 

'Only to tease the hell out of you,' Sam joked. 'Now you two take your place. I'm going to make some photos of you. We'll put them on the special phones you'll get. They have a tracker and everything.'

 

Steve posed for a few pictures as he listened to Sam's explanation of the tech. The photos weren't professional, but they weren't supposed to be. It was a bit awkward, trying to look sexy in front of his friends and colleagues, but it was good practice. He had to learn to act more feminine, so trying to show off his non-existent curves was a nice start. When Steve was done it was Natasha's turn. They discussed their characters, so they wouldn't make any stupid mistakes once they were in the field. They got new names, addresses, and a whole new set of background information. They walked out of the door as a different person.

 

~

 

'Tell me about yourself and what you're doing here,' the owner of the nightclub said.

 

Steve knew almost everything about this man, except his real name. He made everyone call him Ronan. He owned several night clubs throughout New York. They looked like normal clubs, but they were used for selling drugs, money laundering, or illegal prostitution. Ronan had a few dozen guys working for him. Now and then one of them tried to get some money for themselves, or tried to talk to the police, but somehow they always disappeared. Ronan was terrifying, but Steve kept a smile on his face. He was wearing an ear piece, a microphone, and contact lenses through which Sam could see the same things Steve saw. Everything was recorded.

 

'I'm Scott Miller and I heard a lot about The Aurora. I'd love to work here, so I wondered if you had any vacancies,' Steve lied. He knew his character well.

 

'Scott, huh? That your real name? Lot of guys come in here, telling their name is Mike. When you ask for a last name it's Magic. I need to know if I can trust you, Scott.'

 

Steve searched through his wallet and handed Ronan his fake id-card. The man studied it for a few seconds before handing it back.

 

'Not a liar then,' Ronan smirked. 'So, why does a pretty boy like you want to work here? You do know we have a gentleman's club too? You can use your own pretty face and body. I'm sure they'd love you there.'

 

Steve and his team had thought about it too. The gentleman’s club, Apollo, would be easier. But it was a luxurious club with rich customers, members only, which made it harder for uniformed police to fit it in and help Steve out. Uniformed police officers would act like his customers, so he didn’t actually have to pick up clients and have sex with them. Getting membership cards for several policemen was impossible without Ronan finding out something was up. So drag is was for Steve.

 

'I had some problems with stalkers,' Steve said. 'I started selling myself when I was in college. Art class. I earned a lot, so when I couldn't find a job in the art business, I decided to just continue in the sex industry. I used a fake name, but my own apartment. Some clients didn't call, but just came to rang the doorbell, even when I was hanging out with friends. One guy waited in front of the building almost every day. He thought I was in love with him and expected free sex. When I told him to go away he brought friends and beat me up. I was forced to move. I do want to continue the job, but in a place with more security and in disguise. If they won't recognize me on the streets anymore I'll feel more safe.'

 

'I'm sorry to hear that Scott, but I'm glad to hear that our club has a good reputation,' Ronan said, obviously faking pity. 'But if you want to work here we have to see if you make a pretty lady.'

 

'Right, of course,' Steve said, acting a bit embarrassed. 'I bought a few things, tried it out. I have pictures, if you want to see them!'

 

'Yeah, show me,' Ronan said curiously.

 

Steve got the phone out of his bag and searched for the pictures. He handed the phone to Ronan who swiped through them. There were pictures I several outfits and with two different wigs. There were even a few pictures where he only wore jeans, one in tiny underwear, and even a few naked ones. Sam had offered to make this photos, but Steve refused. Having this guy see him naked was bad enough already. But Ronan hummed in approval.

 

'Do you have any experience with men?' Ronan asked as he handed the phone back.

 

'Yes, most of my clients were male,' Steve said. 'I know what to do to make them come back.'

 

'Come over tomorrow at seven-thirty pm and bring one of those outfits,' Ronan said. 'We'd like to see how you'll handle things. If you do well, my assistant will give you a contract. It's a shame I can't be there myself to see it, I'm out of the country, but Nebula rules this place when I'm gone. Good luck, Scott, I'd like to see you again. You're a nice addition to our club.'

 

Steve thanked the man and shook his hand before he walked out of the club and went home.

 

'Great job, man!' he heard Sam say in his ear. 'Guys, Steve is in!'

 

~

 

With a backpack filled with clothes and make up Steve knocked on the back door of the club, as he was instructed. It took a while before it opened and a young woman with blue hair looked at him.

 

'You must be Scott,' she said as she let him in. 'I'm Nebula, I run this place. We don't use real names here, identity protection, so what can I call you? You have a stage name?'

 

'Stefanie?' Steve asked. 'That's what I was thinking about, but I could be someone else if that's not fancy enough. Fawn or something.'

 

'Stefanie is fine,' Nebula answered as she led him through the halls. 'You don't have to take clients tonight if you don't want to, but I'll give you a room, just in case. Welcome to our club.'

 

She showed Steve a huge room, overly decorated in red, pink and gold. There was a small dance floor, a big bar, plenty of tables, chairs and plush couches. All windows were covered with big, red curtains, the walls were decorated with erotic, yet classy, art, and there was a dark wooden floor that looked polished. Since the room was pretty much square, you could see everything from every table. It would be good for observing.

 

'Just walk around, sit down somewhere, make sure you look attractive,' Nebula explained. 'Flirt with the guys, touch their arms, but no kissing. Kissing and everything more intimate must be taken upstairs. You get three drinks per evening, but of course customers can treat you. Don't get drunk though. Alright, so if you got an interested customer, you can take him upstairs. In the corner, behind the curtain, are the stairs, bring them there.'

 

She walked up the stairs and showed a long hall way with a lot of doors. All the doors had naughty golden pictures on them, but looked exactly the same otherwise. They stopped in front of a door with anal beads drawn on them. Steve could hear Sam chuckle.

 

'This will be your room,' Nebula explained. She opened the door with a key card, before handing the card to Steve. 'Only you can get in here. If you need help, there are several panic buttons as you can see. There is plenty of security around, so they're here in no time. You can do whatever you're comfortable with, just know that customers pay per minute, so don't let them fall asleep. Any questions?'

 

'Yes, how do they pay? And do I have to go back to the club afterwards?'

 

'Good questions. Regulars know where to go, but send new clients to the left, down the stairs. There they'll have to pay, they just say who they visited and the guy there can check how long he stayed with you. Computers count how long the door has been closed. When the door closes the clients have to pay 10 dollar. After that it’s 4 dollar per minute. You get 50 per cent.  If you actually start working here, and become popular, it will become more. As for going back downstairs, there is a small bathroom through that door in the back. You can take a quick shower if you want. The more customers, the more money you earn. Just come back down the stairs and mingle with the customers again. Oh, before I forget, threesomes are allowed, but cost extra, and you only do it if you feel like it.'

 

'Okay, thank you,' Steve said. He took one last look at the room, which was decorated in the same colors as the club. There was a bed, a couch, a chair, a table with champagne, some glasses and a bowl filled with condoms. That was it. It made a shiver run down Steve's spine.

 

'Then I'll take you to the dressing rooms, they're in the basement. All of the guys sit together, so you can help each other with zippers or make up.'

 

Nebula opened the door and walked in. A few guys were already changing and she greeted them cheerfully before introducing Stefanie. Steve said hi before he got pushed down in a chair, in front of a mirror. That would be his workstation. He could leave all his things there. Theft would be punished.

 

'I'm Lauren,' said the guy next to Steve. 'If you have questions, just ask me. I've been here for a few years already.'

 

'Thanks, nice to meet you, Lauren,' Steve said with a bright smile, before he quickly changed into his dress. He didn’t forget his mission though. The guys didn't look like they were forced, but when he put his make up on, Steve noticed some of the guys had something tattooed on their arm. It looked like a hammer. Steve couldn’t see from this distance, but he could see they all looked  alike. He had to look into this. It was a lead!

 

'Wow, how do you get your eyeliner like that?!' Lauren suddenly asked. Steve almost hit his eye instead of the lid, but he stayed calm and showed his new friend what he did.

 

'Insane,' Lauren laughed. 'I can't even make it look that good on someone else, let alone on myself! You should be a make-up artist!'

 

'I only know a thing or two,' Steve said, finishing the wing. 'But I'm an artist. Steady hands.'

 

'Amazing, you're going to finish your test day with the highest scores! Keep this up and you'll get a job for the weekends!'

 

'That's what I'm aiming for!' Steve answered, before he put on his wig. The fake boobs were the worst. It was really hard to keep them in place. Lauren grabbed them and made sure they were securely hidden in the bra. Steve never felt more silly in his life. Then again, silly was better than awkward. Steve tried to focus on his stockings and shoes and not look at the guys who were preparing themselves as they put plugs up their asses. Steve hoped he would be out of here before he had to do that to himself. People would start asking questions if he never prepared for the act.

 

When nobody was paying attention Steve clipped a tiny microphone, which looked like a brooch, on his dress and checked with Sam if everything was working. When he got an okay he hid his badge and the card to the room in his bra. Steve looked in the mirror one last time, took a deep breath and with Sam's encouraging words in his ear he entered the club.

 

Steve put on his best smile. There were a few customers in the club already and he friendly greeted them as he made his way to the bar. He needed a drink to be able to do this. He asked the bartender for a cocktail and Steve sipped it as he looked around. Nebula walked past him and gave him thumbs up. Steve was glad he managed to fit in.

 

When a guy in jeans and a black jacket walked in Sam gave a warning. That was their man from uniformed police. Slowly Steve made his way towards the guy and smiled at him. He felt stupid as he tried to make his movements look seductive.

 

'Hello there,' he greeted the man. 'What's your name, pretty boy?'

 

'Jack,' the policeman answered nervously.

 

'I'm Stefanie. Is this your first time in a place like this, Jack? Maybe you should buy yourself a drink, to calm down. We could have a lot of fun tonight,' Steve whispered.

 

The guy practically ran to the bar and came back with beer and another cocktail. Steve gladly accepted the glass and ignored Sam who told him to be nice. Soon more guys joined their conversation, noticing Stefanie was new, curious what she was like. Lauren joined the group too and they just had a lot of fun together. So much that Steve almost forgot what he was doing.

 

When about an hour had passed Steve sat a little closer to Jack, touched his arm when he talked and put his hand on his knee. The other guys noticed they weren't going to get any from Stefanie, so they left or turned to Lauren.

 

'Why don't you and I go upstairs?' Steve asked. Jack nodded and followed Steve up. They walked into the room. The moment it clicked shut, Jack dropped down on the bed with a heavy sigh.

 

'You have to practice your undercover skills,' Steve chuckled as he sat down as well and took off his heels. 'But you did okay. Did you notice anything about the other...employees?'

 

'That Lauren didn't look like she, or he, was forced to do this,' Jack started. 'Very enthusiastic. But some others looked more timid, almost scared. They try their best, but it's not the same. You should keep an eye on them.'

 

'When I get hired I'll try to befriend one of them,' Steve said. 'Probably the Mexican guy. I think his name is Olivia. I think I saw a war hammer tattooed on his arm.'

 

They chatted for about an hour before Jack left. Steve smudged his make up a little, wrinkled his dress, and tangled the wig a bit, like it had been a mess and he had tried to fix it as quickly as possible. He hoped the others would believe him.

 

Sam encouraged him once more as Steve walked down the stairs. He was nervous, afraid that they would see he was a fraud. He was more nervous than when he walked in here a few hours ago. It wasn't necessary, because Nebula praised him for his good work and when the club closed down for the night she offered him a contract.

 

~

 

Steve opened the backdoor with his key. He was hired and got his own key! He was pretty proud of that, he hadn’t done much undercover jobs. But he had been working in this place for a few nights and things were going fine. Nobody suspected a thing. Now that Steve felt accepted by the others and more comfortable he would start some more serious research. He had come early on purpose, hoping he could talk to Olivia without too many others around. Olivia definitely had a tattoo.

 

'Good evening,' he greeted the others. He was lucky, Olivia was already there, while Lauren was not. He was determined to become Steve's friend for some reason.

 

Steve took place in front of his mirror and rummaged through his make up bag, acting like he forgot something. He turned and rolled his chair to Olivia's station.

 

'Can I borrow your eyeliner? I've been practicing at home and I think I forgot to bring it,' Steve lied.

 

'Yeah, sure,' Olivia said, a small, fake, smile on his face.

 

Steve used the eyeliner before handing it back. Olivia's arms were bare, so he quickly read the name on her arm. Ronan. It was written in very curly letters and therefor hard to read, but it definitely said ‘Ronan’. He could have known. Steve hoped Sam got a clear picture of it as well. It could be evidence. Olivia looked uncomfortable, so Steve threw him one of his blinding smiles before starting a simple conversation about make up. He is glad when Olivia responded and when Lauren interrupted them after a few minutes Steve was okay with that, because he made great progress.

 

~

 

Steve worked at the club for two weeks and he managed to become Olivia's friend. They lived in the same neighborhood and walked to work together. Steve also walked Olivia home in the middle of the night. Olivia was a small guy and a tall bodyguard like Steve made him feel safe. They had gotten pretty close already and Steve believed he could soon ask some more personal questions. But before he could do that he had his own problems to worry about.

 

His policeman for the night hadn't shown up yet. It was only ten o clock, but on Saturdays it got crowded early. Every time the door opened Steve looked up, but it never was their man. He could hear Sam shouting orders, trying to contact the guy from uniform that was supposed to show up.

 

A guy, short dark hair, a goatee, a leather jacket, ripped jeans and sneakers, kept looking at Steve. Looking like he could just eat him up. It didn't help that he was exactly Steve's type. Sam had noticed it too, because he warned Steve not to look his way anymore.

 

Too late. The guy got up from his seat at the bar and approached Steve. Steve's heart started beating faster as he tried to think about solutions. He could chat with the guy until his policeman showed up. That was the easiest thing to do. But if the guy didn't show up he couldn't reject this man. He would have to take him to his room. Maybe he could show him he was a policeman, to make him leave? Should he have sex with him to keep his cover a secret? They couldn’t force this man to keep his mouth shut. Maybe he was even one of Ronan’s guys. That would be the end of Steve. But Steve still didn’t know what to do when the man sat down on the chair next to him.

 

'Bartender told me this is what you drink,' the man in the leather jacket smiled. 'I'm Tony. What's your name, beautiful?'

 

'I'm Stefanie,' Steve smiled. 'I've never seen you here before, Tony, I'm sure I would have remembered that. Is it your first time here?'

 

'Yes, actually, but if I had known something pretty like you was hiding here I would have showed up months ago,' Tony flirted. 'But you keep looking at the door. Were you waiting for someone?'

 

'A regular had promised me he would visit me tonight, but he's still not here,' Steve said, pouting in, what he hoped, a cute way. 'His loss. You got here first.'

 

'Good, I'm not good at sharing,' Tony grinned.

 

'Steve, no!' Sam said. 'I'm not going to watch you have sex with this guy!'

 

Steve ignored him and flirted with Tony. He really hoped they would be interrupted by the policeman, but it was almost eleven and he still wasn't there! When Tony went to get more drinks, Steve's demanded an explanation from Sam.

 

'Where is he?' he hissed.

 

'I don't know, I tried to contact the guy, but he doesn't pick up his phone,' Sam explained. 'Back up team is looking for him. Someone else is on the way. Don't sleep with the guy Steve! Just let him know you're a cop, threaten him if necessary, so he won't talk! I can send Maria to get him and lock him up!'

 

Steve couldn't reply. Tony was back already. He came to sit a lot closer to Steve and started touching him. Nothing dirty, just his arms and shoulders, pushing his hair back. Steve let him. He just hoped Tony wouldn't notice how fast his heart was beating.

 

'What do you think, beautiful, should we find a more private place for the rest of the night?' Tony whispered in Steve's ear.

 

Steve shivered. 'Let's finish our drinks. I have a room waiting upstairs, no need to hurry.'

 

Steve sipped his drink, but he ran out of time. He couldn't wait any longer, he had to take Tony upstairs, or he would get suspicious. Nebula too, she had been watching him the last thirty minutes.

 

'You ready?' Steve asked.

 

'More than ready!' Tony grinned. He looked incredibly happy. He helped Steve up the stairs, a real gentleman, if he wasn't just doing it for the sex. But Steve played along and acted like he was flattered. He took Tony's hand and let him lead him to the room. Steve held his breath as the door closed behind him.

 

'Breathe, beautiful, no need to be scared, I'm here to help,' Tony said, as he sat down on the bed. He gestured Steve to do the same. 'I'm with the police, Manhattan department. I'm researching illegal prostitution. Is there anything I can help you with?'

 

'What?!' Steve asked, anger in his voice. This guy was a cop?! Did Fury think he couldn't do this on his own?

 

'Shhh, please don't shout!' Tony pleaded. 'I'm here to help.'

 

'Why do you think I need help?!' Steve asked, crossing his arms. 'I know perfectly well what I'm doing.'

 

'Well, I know guys are forced to do this kind of job,' Tony explained. 'And all the security is not only to keep customers in check, but also to make sure none of you will try to run away.'

 

Steve blinked once, twice, before he started laughing. He couldn't stop laughing. All her nervous feelings were gone. This was the biggest coincidence ever. When he calmed down a little, Steve took his badge from his bra and showed Tony he was a cop too. Then it was Tony's turn to laugh.

 

'Sorry, I thought my boss sent you to help me,' Steve laughed.

 

'Our undercover acts are too good!' Tony chuckled. 'It's nice to meet you, Stefanie. What are you researching here?'

 

'Same as you,' Steve said. 'I've been here for more than two weeks and I got one of the guys to trust me, so let me do this in peace, please? It's difficult enough.'

 

'I won't be in your way,' Tony promised. 'But maybe we can work together? I'd like to help, if possible.'

 

'I could use help,' Steve admitted. 'There is this guy, Julia, who has a war hammers tattooed on his arm. It’s Ronan’s symbol. Try to find out if it's true. I tried to talk to him, befriend him, but he has this arrogant act, like he only cares about customers. At the same time he often has bruises, or a black eye. He covers it with make-up, but I think he's being forced.'

 

'I'll try to find out more about him. Her. I'm confused about this. Him, I guess,' Tony said. 'What does she look like?'

 

'He's the one with the super blond wig, it's almost white. He likes to wear purple lipstick and always picks huge earrings,' Steve explained. 'You'll recognize him and otherwise you can ask me.'

 

'Okay, I'll do that. The more evidence, the better,' Tony agreed. 'What about you? Are you being monitored too? Camera contact lenses?'

 

'Camera contact lenses,' Steve grinned. 'I'm sure our teams have found each other by now. Probably having some very unpleasant discussions about sharing information. For once in glad I'm not allowed back inside the station for a while.'

 

'Lucky bastard!' Tony said with a fake pout. 'So what do I call you? We're stuck here for at least another hour. I have a reputation to uphold.'

 

'Stefanie,' Steve answered. 'Or Scott, but I sure you know that's not my real name. Maybe I'll tell you tell you when this is all over.'

 

'But what do I scream tonight when I'm thinking about you, lonely in my bed?' Tony flirted.

 

'Since this is all you've seen, you can just shout Stefanie. The real me doesn't look anything like this at all. So, will I be dreaming about Tony tonight, or isn't that you're real name either?'

 

'It really is Tony. When you're searching through your toys, wondering about my size, pick a big one,' Tony smirked.

 

Steve finally sat down next to the other man. Sitting a little closer than appropriate. 'Good, I like them queen-sized. Too bad I'll never know what that goatee feels like, scratching my balls.'

 

'Well, this room is made for sex, we could just go for it,' Tony said as he touched Steve's legs, slowly moving his hand from the knee upwards.

 

The two people shouting 'NO!' in their ears were so loud that Tony could hear Sam and Steve could hear the guy who was monitoring Tony. Steve and Tony cried with laughter.

 

~

 

'Liv, are you feeling alright?' Steve asked as he walked Olivia home. The guy limped. That happened before, but this time he also had visible bruises. Steve remembered Olivia took two guys upstairs who had been bragging about their new tattoos. The tattoos of Ronan's gang. Olivia hadn't said a word since she came back. She hadn’t had any other customers the rest of the night either.

 

'Not really,' Olivia answered softly.

 

'Do you want to talk?' Steve asked. 'I've been through a lot of shit too and I know how nice it is to have someone who listens. I won't tell anyone, don’t worry.'

 

Olivia hesitated.

 

'Whenever you feel like it,' Steve added. 'If you don't feel like it today, tomorrow is fine too. Or next week, whenever.'

 

'Stef, will you come in?' Olivia asked. 'I don't really want to talk out here.'

 

'Of course,' Steve answered. He followed the smaller man inside. Steve's apartment wasn't big, but this place was tiny! There was only one room, with a bed, a couch, and a table. There was a small kitchen and a ridiculously small bathroom.

 

Steve sat down on the couch, while his friend got them both a glass of water. Olivia sat down on the bed and took a large gulp. He took a deep breath before he looked Steve in the eyes.

 

'Promise me you won't tell anyone about this, Stefanie. You're the only one I can trust.'

 

'I promise,' Steve said, feeling guilty about the contacts and the microphone.

 

'You know I'm from Mexico,' Olivia started. 'There was a drug war going on in the city where I lived. A lot of my friends were killed, my family members were killed. My sister and I were the only ones left, so we tried to escape. There was a man who would take us across the border and give us new passports. I paid him all the money we had.'

 

Olivia took another sip from his water, fighting back tears.

 

'We were dumped in a van, with some others, who wanted to cross as well. After we crossed the border the van stopped and we were forced into another van. They separated the old from the younger people and brought us to an empty warehouse. I got separated from my sister. They raped me. I don't even want to think about the things they did to her. They forced me to sleep with guys.'

 

Steve sat down on the bed next to Olivia and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He tried his best to comfort the other man.

 

'I tried to escape once, but they hit me and told me they'd kill my sister. They gave me the tattoo that day, to show everyone that Ronan owns me. I was forced to work in a brothel.  They told me I would get a better life if I behaved. I hoped that if I tried my best they would one day let me go. But they just moved me to a more classy brothel, so they could earn more money. Whenever Ronan's gang gets new people I have to do them for free. Me or one of the others. Today was such a day. I can handle the sex on normal days, but today there were two of them and they were rough.'

 

Olivia wiped his tears. Steve didn't know what to say. He just sat there in silent support. For minutes neither of them moved. Steve had known he worked with people who were forced to have sex with others, but hearing the story broke his heart.

 

'I'm sorry that happened to you,' Steve said softly. 'You tried to escape a bad life and got an even worse life. You can't even tell the police, because you're illegal. I'm so sorry.'

 

'Thanks for listening,' Olivia said. 'You're not forced to do this, are you?'

 

'No, no, don't worry about me, I made a few very stupid choices in my life,' Steve sighed. He told Olivia the story he had told Ronan. 'But I guess working for this guy isn't much better. He might protect me from clients, but who will protect us from him?'

 

'Nobody,' Olivia said with a deep sigh. 'But you're an artist, you have a way out. Use it!'

 

'I think I'll start searching for a more artistic job,' Steve agreed. 'I just hope Ronan will let me go.'

 

~

 

Steve was flirting with a policeman when Tony walked in. Tony waved, a big grin on his face. Steve winked at him, before turning back to his 'client'. He did keep an eye on Tony though, to make sure he found Julia, until he noticed Nebula's glare. Steve quickly went upstairs and didn't see Tony anymore afterwards.

 

But Julia approached him after work. Steve was surprised, he had never really talked to Julia before.

'Stefanie, that guy today, have you seen him? The one with the leather jacket? He came to you a few nights ago.'

 

'You mean Tony?' Steve asked. 'He was here last Saturday, I think.'

 

'Yeah, did he have sex with you, because he only wanted to talk to me,' Julia said, disbelief in his voice.

 

'He only talked to me,' Steve answered, voice low, so none of the others could hear him. 'At first I didn't mind, easy money, but I got a little nervous when he kept talking about abuse. He wanted to know if I was forced to do this job against my will. Did he ask you too?'

 

Julia nodded, but didn't look at Steve. Sam told him to stop asking questions, because Julia might stop talking, but Steve knew that if he stopped now, they'd definitely didn't get answers.

 

'You wanna grab a drink on our way home?' Steve asked.

 

Julia looked up, surprise in his eyes, but he agreed happily. Steve didn't get any answers from him that night, but he managed to convince Julia to talk to Tony.

 

~

 

'Stark, we got new info!' Bucky said as he threw a file on Tony's desk. 'Stefanie talked to Julia and convinced him to talk to you. You gotta go out in the field again.'

 

'You really refuse to tell me his real name?' Tony sighed.

 

'Yes,' Bucky grinned. 'If you accidentally call him by his real name, this whole case, and Scott himself, will be in danger.'

 

'Sucks, I liked him. Even dressed up like that, even playing a prostitute, he can still make stupid jokes. He takes it seriously, without...'

 

'Being too serious?' Bucky asked. 'Yeah, Stefanie is really good in his work and he wants you to talk to Julia again. Go there tonight and let her approach you. Stefanie will be really grateful.'

 

'I don't have a crush on the guy, you know, he is nice to work with,' Tony said as he eyed Bucky. 'The dresses and fake titties aren't really doing it for me.'

 

'Scott isn't really into them either, but he is into men.'

 

~

 

'Steve, Tony is coming in tonight,' Sam reported. Steve was on his way to the club, so they could still talk.

 

'You told him to talk to Julia?'

 

'Bucky talked to him,' Sam said. 'Told him everything he needed to know. He also said he really enjoyed working with you.'

 

'Please tell me none of you said he was my type,' sighed Steve, knowing his friends a bit too well.

 

'Not yet,' Sam laughed. He kept joking until Steve arrived at the club and couldn't answer anymore.

Inside the club things got more serious. Tony had been hanging at the bar for half an hour, but Julia didn't approach him. She kept glancing his way, but found herself some other customers, making it impossible for Tony to talk to her. Of course Steve and his man of the night were both keeping an eye on things and noticed that Julia wasn't approaching Tony. Steve decided to act. He got up, walked to the bar and next to Tony he ordered two drinks.

 

'Hello handsome,' he said to Tony. 'Long time no see.  You've got your eyes on Julia, don't you? Wasn't I good enough for you?'

 

'You were perfect, babe,' Tony said. 'Is that guy paying for your drink or do I still have a chance with you?'

 

'Oh Tony, you know you have a special place in my heart,' Steve said, stroking Tony's cheek, making eye contact with Julia. 'You can always convince me to change my mind, handsome.'

 

Tony played along and wrapped an arm around Steve, his hand resting on Steve's ass. 'Maybe I'll give it a try.'

 

They kept glancing in the direction of Julia and after about ten minutes she finally made her way to the bar. Steve and Tony were practically wrapped around each other by that time, but with Julia around they stepped away from each other a little.

 

'Do you want me to join you?' Steve  whispered to Julia. 'I don't mind, we get paid anyway. I think you can trust him.'

 

'Yes, come with me,' Julia said a bit desperate.

 

Steve smiled at him before he turned back to Tony. 'Today is your lucky day. You will have your threesome! We'll use Julia's room. It's bigger.'

 

The three of them went upstairs, leaving some very disappointed men behind. Julia brought them to his room. Tony sat himself down in a chair, showing that he only wanted to talk. Steve put a hand on Julia's back to support him and brought him to the bed, where they sat down together. For a few moments no one spoke. Tony shifted in his chair.

 

'Do you want to tell me how you got here?' he asked. 'Or why it is that you can't leave? Start where you want, take your time, we're not in a hurry.'

 

Julia hesitated.

 

'Maybe you can tell him where you come from?' Steve asked. 'Where did you live? Did you have family? Friends maybe?'

 

Julia started talking, more to Steve than to Tony, but that didn't matter. He was telling his story and that's what mattered. Steve was supportive, asked questions, and made sure Julia told everything. Especially names. It was really important they got Ronan's name.  Thankfully Julia mentioned him several times and even showed his tattoo. It was all the evidence they needed, all they had to do now is let these men write an official statement at the station. That would take a whole lot of convincing though.

 

~

 

'Stef, you dirty, dirty boy,' Lauren laughed when Steve entered the dressing room.'You had a threesome! Did you like it?'

 

Steve sat down and started to take his make up off. 'You act like it's the first time. I had threesomes before. And this time I had Julia. Most of the time I have to please two guys on my own. Or a guy and a girl. You know I did this before I came here.'

 

'Right, right, I keep seeing you as our innocent baby, but you're not,' Lauren said as he took off his wig. He massaged his scalp a little before he turned to Steve again. 'What was the weirdest thing you did?'

 

'I never really did any weird things, but something strange happened when I was invited by a couple,' Steve told as he changed into his jeans. At the same time he checked Lauren's arms for tattoos. 'It was her fantasy to de done by two guys at the same time. So we did that. Super uncomfortable, but they both finished, so I guess they liked it. I was still hard, so I tried to get it back in my pants, but the guy noticed and asked me if I could do him. Secret fantasy. So I did. The girl comes back with towels to clean up, and gets super pissed. She broke up with her boyfriend while I was still inside. She ran out of the house and disappeared.'

 

'Did she think that was cheating?' Lauren asked, laughing.

 

'No, she was pissed, because he was a man and shouldn't want to be fucked in the ass,' Steve grinned. 'We finished our business, the guy paid me and a few months later he invited me for a threesome with his new boyfriend.'

 

Lauren couldn't stop laughing. Steve could hear Sam groan in a very frustrated way. His grin only grew wider.

 

~

 

'Sam, we need to protect these guys,' Tony said as he walked into the office. 'They're not going to make anything official if we can't protect them. New ID's, new place to live, a new background, the whole shebang!'

 

'Talk to Clint, I heard he is working on it,' Sam said. 'He is tracing down their families too. Former spy, so he's pretty good. Last office on the right. Oh, he forgot his hearing aids today, so don't wait until he calls you in when you knock. He can lip-read pretty well, so no problems there.'

 

'Okay, will do. Did you hear anything from Stefanie?' Tony asked.

 

'You'd like to know that, wouldn't you!' Sam laughed. 'Last thing he said was not to tell you that you're his type. It might explain why he got all handsy with you yesterday. But you have no excuse for looking at his ass all the time. You do know we see whatever you see, right?'

 

'Had to keep it realistic,' Tony grinned. 'All those people think I slept with him, so he could handle some ass-grabbing. He might be my type.'

 

'I thought the fake titties weren't doing it for you,' Sam laughed.

 

'Of course Bucky told you. Stefanie has a very nice, and very real ass,' Tony replied. 'You can't blame me!'

 

~

 

Things were going well. Now that Steve and Tony found a rhythm in dealing with the guys at the club, they ended up with great results. Steve would give Tony names and descriptions of the guys who had a name tattooed on their arm and Tony would approach them a few nights later. He got a confession out of Ashley and he had a nice chat with Cassandra. Cassandra didn't trust him though and hadn't said a word about Ronan. With a little help from Steve and another 'threesome' later, Cassandra had told his story as well.

 

No one ever expected to get such great results in such a short time. Steve and Tony were a great team and worked really well together. Steve gained the trust of the guys, while Tony knew exactly how much he had to push to make the guys give the answers he wanted. They wanted to go for two more stories before asking the guys to make an official statement.

 

Their perfect planning was messed up by Nebula.

 

'Stefanie, come to my office,' she said, before closing the door to the dressing room behind her. All the guys looked at Steve, who shrugged and got up.

 

'Good luck,' Lauren whispered.

 

'Thanks,' Steve said with a smile. He didn't let anyone see how nervous he was, but his heart was beating fast and his palms were sweaty.

 

'Is there a problem?' he asked innocently as he sat down in Nebula's office. 'Did someone complain?'

 

'No,' Nebula said. Steve looked relieved. 'I want to know about your sudden interest in the other guys and the man called Tony. What is going on?'

 

Steve bit his bottom lip. 'I'm sorry, he said. 'I'm sorry if I bothered anyone. I was insecure.'

 

'Insecure?' Nebula asked, one perfect eyebrow raised. 'About what?'

 

Steve swallowed heavily, looking away from the woman in front of him. 'My skills,' he answered softly. 'I had a customer who was into… rimming. I have done it before, but not often and he seemed.... unimpressed. I did satisfy him, in the end, but he didn't seem pleased. I felt bad about it. He paid for something I couldn't give him. I thought one not super happy customer was alright, but I still asked Cassandra and Julia for help. They taught me some tricks.'

 

'What about this Tony guy?' Nebula asked. 'You're all over him. He doesn't seem to mind, but I can't have you falling for him.'

 

Steve chuckled. 'He is a very charming man, but that won't happen. He was my first customer after the unhappy one. He noticed I wasn't sure about the things I was doing. I even had trouble with a blowjob, while that's my special skill. He was really kind, made me confess everything, and praised my lack of gag reflex. He gave me confidence again. Julia and Cassandra wanted to teach me some things and Tony was prepared to help. He didn't mind paying for a threesome.'

 

'Alright,' Nebula said. 'Stefanie, try not to let one customer bring you down. You look good, you're doing great. Now hurry up and get ready for tonight.'

 

Steve hurried back to the dressing room. Most of the others were gone already. He quickly finished his make-up.

 

'I can't believe people still think you're innocent when you can say things like that with a straight face,' Bucky groaned. He had been monitoring Steve that night.

 

Steve grinned at Bucky in the mirror.

 

~

 

'We can't take the risk!' Sam said. 'That woman was already suspecting something, we can't continue. Stefanie might get in a dangerous situation.'

 

'She believed him,’ Bucky said. 'I know she did. I think we need to try one more guy. We need a bigger chance that some of them want to testify in court. It won't be the first time we have four witnesses and no one who can actually help us to lock the bad guys away.'

 

'I have six new identities ready, all we need are pictures,' Clint butted in. 'So we can get two more if we want to.'

 

'I'm not doing more if Stefanie could be in danger,' Tony stated.

 

'Don't all those guys get a new identity?' James "Rhodey" Rhodes asked. He was the one monitoring Tony. 'From what I read in your reports there are at least five more guys who are forced to work there. Just because they weren't invited to one of Tony's meetings they'll be forced to continue doing this?'

 

'When we bust in there we'll try to get out the prostitutes separated from the rest of the staff and the clients,' Sam explained. 'We'll talk to all of them and the ones who want to take their story to the court will all get a new identity. The ones who don't are free to go. We'll get a chance to talk to all of them, so there is no need for Tony to get a confession out of another girl. We got all the evidence we needed.'

 

'We could still end up without witnesses,' Bucky said. 'They're scared. We can't risk this without knowing for sure at least one of them is going to take this to court.'

 

'Okay, what about we make Stefanie talk about this to at least one of the guys,' Rhodey suggested. 'So we know a little more. But we have to make sure none of them escape when we get in there.'

 

'Stefanie and I can help with that,' Tony said. 'Try to keep them calm, guide them through the right doors, so they won't end up mixed with the guards. We can do that. We just gotta make sure not too many have gone upstairs yet. We don't want to drag a bunch of naked clients out of there.'

 

'I just got a message that Ronan will be at the club Friday next week,' Bucky said. 'That's it, that's when we'll catch him. Let's prepare everything.'

 

~

 

'Hi Stef,' Olivia said as he closed the door of his apartment and locked it. Steve didn't hear him. 'Hello Stefanie!'

 

'Oh, hi,' Steve said. 'Ready to go?'

 

'I'm ready, but you seem distracted,' Olivia chuckled. 'Are you thinking about Tony? You always get hearts in your eyes when you're near him. Do you feel cursed already? Unreachable love, because you're a prostitute, but you wouldn't have met him if you hadn't been a prostitute?'

 

Steve laughed. 'He is kind of hot, but I'm not in love with him. Did I tell you he's a cop? He's researching illegal prostitution. He asked me if I was forced to work there, that kind of things. I never slept with him, we just talked. I think it's a good thing they're doing something about it, so I gave him names of guys I suspect are forced, like Julia and Cassandra. He talked to them too. I even helped some of them to tell their story.'

 

'Did you tell him about me?' Olivia asked, fear in his voice.

 

'No, I wanted to talk to you first,' Steve said, comforting his friend. 'He is searching for guys who want to testify against Ronan in court. It's a big thing, so I wouldn't just give him your name. He did promise a new identity, a place to live, far away from here, and he will find any lost family members. So if you want to think about it, that's the deal.'

 

'Lost family members?' Olivia asked. 'Like my sister?'

 

'I guess, yes, Steve said. 'That's why I wanted to talk to you about it. Talk to Tony if you want to know more. He won't sleep with you, you'll get paid just to talk.' Just don't tell any of the others. I don't wanna get into trouble, I just don't want anyone being forced to do this.'

 

'I'll talk to Tony and testify if that gets me my sister back,' Olivia said. 'You're too nice, Stef. Are you secretly an angel?'

 

'You have seen me naked,' Steve laughed. 'I don't have wings. But I like you, I want to help you, angel or not.'

 

'You're not secretly in love with me, are you? You have hearts in your eyes again,' Olivia said, looking into Steve's eyes. 'Because I'm sleeping with guys, but I'm into girls, so you don't stand a chance.'

 

'Not even with fake tits?' Steve asked, a pout on his face.

 

'Definitely not with the fake tits,' Olivia grinned.

 

'I'll try to seduce Tony then, he is more my type anyway,' Steve smiled. 'Cop marries prostitute. That would make an interesting headline.'

 

Olivia was laughing out loud now. 'He's gay, no straight guy would feel comfortable around guys in drag. You should give it a try. Take off the fake tits and show him what you've got. He'll fall in love with you and you'll live happily ever after!'

 

Steve snorted. 'All my dreams will come true. You better not tell any of this to Tony. I might be like an angel, but I will kill you and then die of embarrassment.'

 

Olivia grinned wickedly before he opened the door and walked into the club.

 

Behind the scenes Clint was frantically searching for the sister and Sam contacted Rhodey and Bucky with the new information. Steve had done it.

 

~

 

'You're quiet, beautiful girl,' Tony said to Steve, who was lazily hanging against Tony's arm. On Steve's other side were two more guys, also policemen. Today Ronan would be caught. The big boss was sitting on a plush couch in a corner, surrounded by girls, real ones, and a table filled with empty glasses. The alcohol had made them talk loudly.

 

'Bit nervous,' Steve said. 'A drink would help, but we're not allowed to have alcohol.'

 

Tony started stroking Steve's hair, until he realized it was a wig and the man in his arms couldn't really feel it. Instead he started babbling. He was really good at talking about nothing. It distracted his three colleagues a little. They couldn't act too stiff or their cover would be blown. They couldn't let that happen, not now that Olivia was prepared to testify!

 

He was joking with the two other policemen, making Steve laugh at his stupid jokes. They all calmed down a little. One of the guys went to get another round of beer. They hadn't drank the first ones, but they kept the bottles on the table and acted like they took a sip now and then.  They pulled it off, because no one seemed to suspect anything.

 

Suddenly the doors were kicked open and a bunch of policemen stormed in, guns up and shouting that everyone had to lay down on the ground with their hands on their head. Some of the guards grabbed their guns. Steve, Tony and the two others lay down on the ground. They didn't have bullet proof vests, unlike their colleagues. They couldn't take the risk.

 

Steve couldn't see what was going on. The hair of the wig was covering his eyes, blocking his view.

 

'Ronan's men are trying to get him out through a back door,' Tony whispered. 'Some of them are fighting your colleagues. The blue-haired girl behind the bar is fast! That Bucky guy can give nice punches with his left arm.'

 

'Prosthetic,' Steve grinned. 'It's metal, gives bad guys a nice blow to the head.'

 

The sound of a gunshot shut them both up. People started screaming, some people were trying to run. Everyone was panicking. Glass was shattering in several places, chairs fell over, and the sounds of footsteps was everywhere. Steve wanted to look up, but Tony pushed his head down again.

 

'One of Ronan's guys was shot when he tried to attack Sam,' he explained. 'Don't look, just act like you work here. Some of the guards aren't caught yet, if they see you're with the police they might hunt you down. Don't want you to move to Alaska with a new name.'

 

'That's sweet,' Steve said, a nervous smile on his face. 'But I don't like it if I can't lead my team and they're in danger.'

 

'Your team?' Tony asked surprised. 'I thought Sam was leading the team? Doesn't matter, you can't run in those heels anyway.'

 

'Yes, I'm the team leader, but I was the best candidate to go undercover here. Partly because I can walk in heels. And I bet I can outrun you in these shoes!'

 

'Alright, I'll take it,' Tony said. 'I bet you fifty bucks I'm faster on running shoes than you are in heels. Oh, Ronan is handcuffed, his guards are brought outside. One of them is on the floor, he's not moving. Some sexy redhead worked him to the ground.'

 

'Natasha?' Steve said surprised. 'She was undercover too.'

 

'I heard something about her cover being blown,' Tony said. He wanted to say more, but Sam interrupted him.

 

'Everyone, listen carefully,' Sam said. 'Due to illegal activities, we're closing this place. If you are a customer, raise your hand, someone will come and get you. Don't worry, we won't charge you. All of you will be frisked, but if you have nothing to hide you're free to go.'

 

The three men around Steve were taken away by their colleagues. They were frisked at the door before they were allowed to go. Steve had pushed his hair aside and watched them go. One by one all the guys were leaving. All those guys Steve had seen so many times. It felt a bit surreal that it was over now, after two months it was over. He wasn't surprised when some of the guys were caught with drugs.

 

With the clients and the guards gone there were only employees left. The people who worked behind the scenes to clean, the bartenders and the bouncers were taken away, so only the prostitutes were left.

 

'You can all get up,' Sam said with a kinder voice than he had used before. 'We'll have to take you to the station. You won't be charged for prostitution, but we do want to talk to all of you. You can all go and get your clothes, buy don't change yet. You're more anonymous in these clothes and you might like that, since there is a lot of press outside.'

 

'Can’t we leave unnoticed through the back door?' Steve asked. 'Or is there press there as well? People just love pictures of a bunch of guys in women's clothes that are taken away by the police. They don't understand why we do this.'

 

'I will check if that's possible,' Sam said. 'The vans have tinted windows, so once you're inside you're safe from the press.'

 

All the guys made their way to the changing room. Steve walked past Sam.

 

'Park the van with the backside against the door,' he said. 'There is plenty of space. It will shield them off from the press.'

 

'I'll put Bucky on it,' Sam promised.

 

Steve hurried to the changing room, dumped his shirt, jeans and shoes in his bag. He emptied his little locker and took everything that belonged to him. He was never coming back. None of them were ever coming back.

 

Steve didn't have much, so he was done quickly. He helped Olivia with all his things when he noticed some of the other guys were pushing small packages with pills or white powder between their clothes. Steve wrote down their names in his phone and texted them to Sam. Maybe this wasn't the time for a drug search, but they could at least take the drugs from them. He was a policeman above all.

 

But not so much of a policeman that he would drive separate from the other guys in drag. He got in the back of the van as well and calmed the guys down that were panicking. They were afraid they'd be kicked out of the country, because they illegally entered it. Steve tried to tell them it would be alright.

 

Ronan was caught, the guys were saved. It would all be alright now.

 

~

 

'Alright, gentlemen, we need to talk to all of you,' Sam said. 'If I call your name, please step forward: Ashley, Tanya, Simone, Cindy and Marilyn.'

 

The five men stepped forward and uniformed police went through their bags. They took the drugs out before they put all the clothes back in and returned the bags to their owners.

 

'We know that some of you were forced to work for Ronan and we’d really like to talk to you. So, we're going to split you up in two groups,' Sam continued. 'Everyone who was forced to work at the club and everyone who worked there of their own free will. No one has to fear anything, we're not charging you, we only want answers to our questions about your boss. If you were forced, tell us, please. We can help. We won't tell Ronan we talked to you, and if you testify against him we will get you a new life. A new name, a place to live, so that Ronan will never find you. Please follow this lady, she'll get you some coffee.'

 

Some of the guys followed the policewoman, some stayed behind. Steve elbowed Julia to make him go as well. The guy looked scared, but Steve smiled and whispered it was going to be alright. The moment they were out of the room, Steve stepped forward.

 

'I want Tony and the guy who was monitoring him to talk to the group that has just left,' Steve said, ignoring the surprised looks of the prostitutes that had been his colleagues. 'Sam, take Bucky and talk to all these guys. I heard Nat is back, bring her into this as well, pair her up with Clint. Is Clint available? Let them take statements from these guys as well. Before you let them go give them coffee and a place to change. Not the bathrooms. I'm going to join Tony.'

 

'You're amazing, Stefanie!' Lauren said. 'An amazing liar. I can’t believe you’re a cop! I'm going to miss you.'

 

Steve smiled at his friend. 'I'll miss you too. It was fun to work with you. Good luck.'

 

He walked out of the room and found Rhodey with a tray full of cups. He introduced himself to the man and followed him into the room with waiting guys. Tony was already there. He grinned when he noticed Steve.

 

'Decided to join us?'

 

'Stef, you said you weren't forced!' Olivia said, fear in his eyes.

 

'I'm not. I wasn't,' Steve said as he sat down next to Tony. 'I'm a police officer, I was under cover, to see how we could catch Ronan without getting you guys in trouble. I might have lied about being a prostitute, but other than that, I was myself. I didn't plan on it, but most of you became my friends. You've been through so much, I wanted to help you to get a better life. You guys deserve it.'

 

'You slept with all those guys to get information?' Cassandra asked. 'Your own colleague?'

 

Steve smiled. 'No, all of my clients were my colleagues. We talked, shared information, and discussed cases in the bedroom. Nothing happened.'

 

'Does that mean I can tell my story to you?' Olivia asked. 'About Ronan?'

 

'Yeah, if you prefer talking to me instead of any of my colleagues, we just do that,' Steve answered.

 

Julia chuckled. 'Most new guys are nervous and we have to help them out. Within a week you walked around like you owned the place and became like a big sister to almost all of us. You helped us out so many times, I want to help you catch this asshole.'

 

'Me too,' said Cassandra.

 

One by one all the guys offered their help and their story. They thanked Steve for his help and for getting them out of their life at the club. With tears in his eyes Steve took the Oliva to an interview room for his official statement.

 

~

 

Tony walked through the hallways of the police station. Today was his last day assisting in Brooklyn. He and Rhodey had to go back to Manhattan. Tony and Sam had gone through all the information one last time, to make sure nothing was missing. Sam would handle it from there. This operation had been a great success and they were all really proud.

 

A few kilograms of drugs had been found in the club and it had Ronan's fingerprints on it. They had almost ten statements from guys who were abducted by Ronan's gang and were forced to work for him. All of the guys were prepared to testify in court, if Stefanie would be there to support them. They had everything they needed to lock Ronan, Nebula, and some of Ronan’s men away. Clint and his team had prepared safe places for all the victims. They'd get their new ID the moment they testified. Houses all over the country and background stories were prepared. A bunch of family members had been found and would get a new ID as well.

 

This case couldn't end better.

 

Or, it could. Tony hadn't seen Stefanie after the night he had taken the statements from all the guys. Stefanie had worked all night, went home in the morning, and gotten some time off to get ready to get back to work. Tony hadn't seen him anymore and still didn't know the guys first name. He had searched the entire floor, but there had been no sign of the guy. Tony was a little grumpy and decided to ask Sam about it, when he heard voices coming from Sam’s office.

 

'Sam, I didn't get a single complaint about you. You communicated well, you used everyone's best qualities and you caught Ronan. You did great and I will let Fury know about that. You could replace me anytime.'

 

'Nah man, you're better at the leading thing,' Sam laughed. 'But tell Fury, maybe I can get him to upgrade my salary.'

 

Tony peeked into the office where the voices came from. The leader of Sam's team was Stefanie. He was here!

 

'Tony, can we help you?'

 

Tony stepped inside and looked at the tall blond man that was leaning against the desk. He looked completely different from the man in drag, except for his smile.

 

'Should I still call you Stefanie?' Tony asked.

 

'No,' Steve laughed. 'Steve Rogers, nice to meet you. Thank you for your help.'

 

'It's good to see you like yourself,' Tony smirked. 'More my type now. No more plush titties, still a great ass.'

 

'I work hard to keep it in shape,' Steve grinned. 'And I actually came here for you today.  I still have a week off, but it's your last day here and we have a bet running.'

 

He showed Tony the bright red high heels he had been wearing at the club.

 

'Oh Tony, tell me you're going to show you can walk on those and didn't bet on a running match with Steve,' Sam said. 'He never lost one of those!'

 

'He’s running in those heels, I have sneakers,' Tony laughed. 'I'm going to win.'

 

'Hope you didn't bet too much, because you're losing!' Bucky said as he popped in.

 

‘Steve can outrun a cheetah while he is wearing stilts,’ Natasha agreed. ‘Those heel won’t stop him.’

 

Fifteen minutes later the entire team stood outside. Steve was wearing the heels and Tony was tying the laces of his running shoes. All the others stood around, cheering and laughing.

 

'Alright,' Natasha said. 'You'll run around the station, finish line is right here again. Good luck. Ready? Set. Go!'

 

Steve sprinted away, like he wasn't wearing ten centimeter heels. Tony ran as fast as he could, but within no time he got behind and Steve was out of sight.

 

When Tony finally reached the finish line, Steve was waiting, a big grin on his face. He wasn't sweating, not even panting, while Tony was completely out of breath. He lay down in the grass to catch his breath.

 

'You earned the fifty bucks,' he said. 'Totally deserved. Fuck, you're fast.'

 

'What about you keep the fifty dollar and spend them on a date, next weekend.

 

Tony's eyes shot open. 'With you?'

 

'Yes,' Steve laughed.

 

'Deal,' Tony said with a broad grin. 'Looks like I won after all!'


End file.
